Mount Shasta:
I hiked up to Avalanche Gulch and climbed it, summiting Misery Hill en route. I never took out my ice axe. The slope never seemed to exceed 40 degrees. I continued hiking to ~100 feet from the summit, dropped my skis due to lack of consistent snow, summited and skied down to the trailhead. From where I started skiing to the top of Avalanche Gulch, the snow was too firm, but never softens up according to a Mount Shasta ranger. Once inside the Gulch, the snow was great. I just had to avoid the glissade tracks. A 35-40 degree slope is maintained for about 3000 vertical feet. The snow never got too heavy even down at the trailhead.